New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-17
LET THE BEST MANCOMMAND
TIE CAPrAINCY OF THE LOCAL NINE.


Baseball men seem to Il ink that the present is thu
auspicious moment tor the management of the New
York club to make q decisive move. Public CODE
dence in the nine has been sadly shaken OF late, ano
something must be done. and done quickly at thah
That portion OF the public which finds its CHIEF
amusement in game of baseball does not care what
particular player captains the club long as the nne
plays good baseball and carries CONSERVATION amone
the ranks OF its Opponents. II Jobn"ie Weto can
make he nine play WANING game, then let Ward DC
captain. If @Buck" Ewing. the fie-eating az
catcher and present third baseman can commend the
local players Oh the held successfully then let Ewing
be elected captain hy all means. II it requires man
OF more bulk and sinew to fill the position creditaDy'
let Roger Connor the big first bastman. take the place
Immediately. II the position requires PLAYER OF
diplomatic turn of mind and one capable oil using
ad ectives and verbs large enough to brighten MS
PLAYERS into submission then let James ORourke the
ex-captan OF the defunct Buffalo club. have iuii
ar thoity while the team il on the field. 1t Is ne
leved that Ward, when he claims that nobody could
captain the nine successfully under the existing ar
raugemens OF its affairs, intimatts that hc did not
have sufficient authority to make bis captancy sue.
cessful. II Manager Mutrie has too much power and
the captain the nine too little then let matters be
reversed for time and give Mutrie less and the
captain more The New-York club has many friends,
and these friends support the team in handsome style
The continual wranglng has nauseated the pubiic
and had better be stopped at once. Who the captain
OF the nine is troubles the supporters OF the club put
little. The, pay to see good baseball playing, but
thew have paid tor poor counterfeit so Tar. John
B. Day. the president of the club untaugle the
difficulties II he to- and IL Is his duty to the puD-
lie and his rocket to start the reform at once.
The settlement of the vexed question OF the cap
taincy of the local League club is arousng more In
terest In the breast OF the average foo~cr OF the
New-YOrk nine than the election OF the CHIEF Ex-
ecutive would. 1he opinions OF the thousands OF
people who visit the Polo Grounds are divided
g.. and IN
retention 40 captain would be favorably received by
the majority Admiration for his brilliant playing
has done much &c canse this feeling He has played
splendid game this year. In fact much better than he
ever Mayed before and he is fully aware OF his i'm
portance. As q PLAYER. he has few equals; but MS
success as a captain has not been SO pronounced
Ward claims that there is hard feeling in the club
against him. but others In position to know say that
this is not so. While the PLAYERS may like him per-
sonally, they undoubtedly object to him IA captain
Some people who always find mysterious meanings
in the most trivial matters claim that the players in
the club who have been nicknamed the Troy
Clique are responsible for Wards downfall. keete
Wech, Conner, Ewing Gillespie and Dorgan are the
ex-Trvy players referred to. While OF these men
may not be in iavor of Ward captain they have not
been outspoken in their likes or dslikes O'"ourke
Is the one player in the nine who has the pluck so
far TO proclaim his Icasons for thinking Ward an
incompetent captain. The baseball public will watch
closely tho record of the club under Its new captain
aThe New-York club will make q bold bid to have
that forfeited Detroit game thrown OUT said Manager
Mutrie the other day. Tho Wolverines are not
entitled to the gamo. and tbnS that before many
more DAYS defeat will be taken of the New-York
clubs record aud a victory of Detroit's. Umpire
Valentines rulings were neither just nor legal and be
clear, misused his power. Gore was clearly injured
and unable to continue tho game, and have ply
sicians certificate TO that effect. Mt Day went to
III. Nattr
with League President Young on the subject. The
affdavits Of Ward, Gore, the physician and myself
we're sent on to Washington on Thursday and Prest
dent Young will give his decision In few days.
think the disputed game will be called draw and will
be pllyed over again the next trip OF the Giants TO
Detroit know that contested games arc seldom, II
ever changed, but think there will bs an exception
In this case" Mr.. Nutrio thought that his Giants
still IN the League race, and pointed with cheer
fulness to the recent defeats OF the Detroit Boston
and Chicago clubs.
al will tell you what Is the matter with the Metro
potan Grub" said local baseball man the other
day aThe team Is an old fashioned ono, with old
fashioned players. and It plays an old-fashionod
game There IL not enough fire, dash, determination,
push and nerve in the players They have old-iash-
toned ideas about how baseball should be played and
the record the club is making shows that the ideas are
behind the times. Find remedy Well don't
know Ii Is easier TO find fault than TO correct evils,
you know. The men arc too asy-goiug and are slow
In taking advantage OF the dine points OF the game.
MANY people seemed to think until lntoly that the
club had too many managers, but since o. p Cavlor
has been made manager and had full control OF the
team, have not noticed any Improvement The
are too slow in running bases IL they would
take more chances in this respect the nine would do
better work. the club Is also handicapped in the
pitching department Mays Ia a fairly good pitcher
and capable of pitching wn,ing game once or twice
a week but that Ia all. Lynch seems to DO faded
veteran, bat he s still a sturdy MAI and NAV get
back his lost cunning again Cushman has been
1oo Il h. md haa haep
almost useless to the club. Shafer and Mchullen
have not up to the expectations which they ex-
cited"
There IL considerable dissatisfaction in Brooklyn
or the poor Jrd the Brooklyn club has made this
wear There are comparatively more baseball enthu-
siasts in Brooklyn than In any other city in the
country and yet the followers OF the fortunes OF base
bali In the City OF Churches have been forced 10 father
nine Of rather inferior quality. The more faithful
had constant bad luck but the number OF the faith
ful is growing beautifully less each day From base
ball heroes and princes, the players have In the par
lance of the baseball field, descended to dubs and
q muffersp The club Is weak In important positions
and 1t ought not to expect 70 play frstcass game
nitohinp department and deplorably inc dicient In
and dash. With more daring base-run-
ning even the present nine could greatly improve Its
81 landing The players, however, are too tat and we'll
fed They play baseball II IL bitter medicine
instead of sport and relaxation. The nine Is Writ
uay the same as 1t was last year IL can be predicted
with GOOD deal of certainty that there will ba
oonspicuous changes in the nine next year.
The International League will be applauded tor tho
Determined stand 1t took at ITS special meeting at
Buffalo on thursday against Sunday baseball playing
This body Is an nfant baseball organization when
the League and American Associations;
vet even in its youth 1t has begun reform, which the
older associations might do we'll to follow. The New
ark and Jersey City clubs have been playing exhibit
ton games on Sundays, and the association censurcd
the CLUBS for 80 doing. Tho Saturday half-hoday Ia
now generally pbseryed. and those who favor Sunday
PLAYING no longer have the excuse that Sc nday is
The ONLY time hard.worked clerks, mechanics and
busiuess men have to witness baseball games. Sun
dav PLAYING does not add toae or respect to baseball
and Ia the interest OF the game 1t ought to be rowned
the National League. timely suggestion in the treat
mept OF unpires. Tho younger league voluntarily
increased the salaries OF its umpres and the older
League might do the thing with good results.